Auction Report Patek Philippe Caliber 89 Fails To Sell (Again)

For more than 25 years, the Patek Philippe Caliber 89 was known as the most complicated watch in the world (that title now belongs to the Vacheron Constantin ref. 57260), and it is still the most complicated Patek Philippe ever made. It measures 88.2mm in diameter, weights around 2.4 lbs, and features 33 complications. Only four were made, one each in yellow gold, pink gold, white gold, and in platinum, and at the moment, the yellow gold version is having a very hard time finding a new home.

We went hands-on with this momentous watch when the owner decided to consign the watch through Christie’s last year. The watch failed to meet the asking price, then set at $11 million, which is how it ended up at Sotheby’s this weekend with a very broad estimate range of 6,500,000 to 10,000,000 CHF.

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Despite interest from onlookers in the room, the watch ultimately did not meet its reserve and once again finds itself going back home to a reluctant owner, who is going to find it increasingly difficult to part with it unless he accepts a much lower price for the watch.